The True Geordie doesn’t hold back in his response to the now-infamous Logan Paul video.
Content warning: this article refers to suicide.
We are just a few days into 2018, and YouTube has found itself back in the mainstream media for something that isn’t in any way positive. On 31 December, Logan Paul uploaded a video in which he visited Aokigahara (or the “Suicide Forest”) in Japan, found a dead body, and proceeded to film it. The backlash he faced afterwards was wide-ranging and has perhaps been best distilled down into a video by The True Geordie.
Geordie is not one to pull punches, and this is a topic that requires that level of brutal honesty. Right off the bat, you can see that this video has affected him in a very visceral way, and he goes on to speak about the very real effect that suicide has had on his life. He speaks about the many people that reach out to him to try and talk about everything, ranging from negative thoughts all the way to suicidal feelings.
Talking about these connections with people who watch him is when he begins to break down and cry. “Some people are very lonely, and when people are lonely they need time to be taken up by feeling like they aren’t on their own,” he says. “And podcasts are really good for that, and that’s why I did one on Christmas Day.”
He doesn’t use manipulative music or specific cuts to tell his audience when to feel emotional. He lays it all out there for the audience to see – a man and a camera, just trying to show the truest form of himself. He ends the video by urging his viewers to “talk to someone” and to seek help if they are struggling with their mental health.
If you feel like you are struggling with your own mental health, please seek assistance. Call 116 123 for the Samaritans in the UK, or if you are further afield, please contact Befrienders Worldwide by going to befrienders.org and find your country-specific number in their dropdown menu. Help is there if you feel like you need it.
More information on creators speaking out about mental health issues can be found in our article sharing ten YouTubers fighting mental health stigma and in our recap of the Mental Health Panel at Summer in the City 2017.
